The First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning website provides educators with supports and tools to design and facilitate professional learning. It offers curricular resources that build capacity, engage learners, and build paths toward reconciliation through education.
This website supports individual educators, cohorts, school communities, and entire school authorities. It highlights promising practices and features an extensive digital resource base through links to numerous resources and PD Planning Tools.
Find these resources and supports on four pillar webpages. Each pillar is focused on one of the four goals of the professional learning process.
The How and When to Use the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Professional Learning Website Guide highlights the features of this website and stimulates learning, conversation, critical reflection, and the development of implementation approaches and strategies.
The First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning website and the Empowering the Spirit website are both resources that have been designed to support teachers and school and district leaders as they weave Indigenous knowledge systems into their current practice and develop an increased awareness and understanding of First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, perspectives, and ways of knowing. This Connecting First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning and Empowering the Spirit learning guide provides suggestions for making connections between the resources and supports on these two websites and can help educators plan and implement professional learning that moves them toward achievement of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Foundational Knowledge competency in the Alberta Teaching and Leadership Quality Standards.
How to Use this Website for Your Professional Learning
1 Click or touch each section of the interactive wheel below to explore the understandings, goal, and inquiry focus of the four learning pillars: Learning to Be, Learning to Know, Learning to Do, and Learning to Relate.
2 Build your understanding and capacity by exploring the resources provided on the four pillar webpages.
3 Use the photo tile gallery found here and on each pillar webpage to identify resources that meet the needs of your students and community.
4 Use resources provided on the Leading the Process webpage to design your own professional learning process.
As you explore this website and identify those resources that are most relevant for your context and students, watch for icons that signal different types of resources. This website also offers a collection of images that are intended to encourage personal reflection and spark collaborative discussions.
Understandings
Learning to Be is about reflecting on the things you do that define who you are as an educator in your educational community.
You understand that responding to the relationships created with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members enhances understanding and awareness of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and content in educational programming.
Goal
Learning to Be asks you to develop wise practices to engage First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members in educational programming.
You independently use your learning to engage First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members; build relationships; and modify and adapt programming to demonstrate an understanding and awareness of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives.
Inquiry Focus
In the interest of building relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members, you continue to consider:
- How does what we do impact who we are?
Use the resource gallery on the Learning to Be pillar webpage to find resources that help you plan a shared vision for including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and content in your programs. Use these resources to support your professional learning plan.
Click to go to Learning to Be
Understandings
Learning to Know is about developing foundational knowledge and insightful understanding of historical events and current contextual realities.
You understand that historical events and current contextual realities have a significant impact on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people and student learning.
Goal
Learning to Know asks you to develop foundational knowledge and reflect insightful understanding of historical events and current contextual realities.
You independently use your learning to evaluate historical events and plan and deliver educational programming. You demonstrate an understanding of the connections between past events and present effects on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit student learning.
Inquiry Focus
In the interest of understanding the impact of historical events and current contextual realities on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people and its effect on student learning, you continue to consider:
- How does knowing relate to understanding?
Use the resource gallery on the Learning to Know pillar webpage to find resources that help you develop knowledge and understanding of historical events and current contextual realities.
Click to go to Learning to Know
Understandings
Learning to Do is about empowering educators with resources and tools and engaging in professional learning to support curricular programming.
You understand that lifelong learning, collaboration, and leadership skills developed through participation in professional learning opportunities builds educator capacity to effectively teach First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and content to all students.
Goal
Learning to Do asks you plan and deliver curricular programming that acknowledges and honours the rich diversity of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing.
You independently use your learning to select appropriate resources and instructional strategies that reflect an understanding of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and content in relation to their regional educational context.
Inquiry Focus
In the pursuit of building capacity, you continue to consider:
- How does empowering differ from delegating?
Use the resource gallery on the Learning to Do pillar webpage to find resources that help you build capacity to effectively teach First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and content to all students.
Click to go to Learning to Do
Understandings
Learning to Relate is about fostering a sense of belonging by creating spaces and places that acknowledge and honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.
You understand that creating relationships with the local First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities enhances educational programming.
Goal
Learning to Relate asks you to design educational spaces that acknowledge and honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people, culture, language, and community.
You independently use your learning to access and select resources and create educational programs that reflect a cultural understanding of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, perspectives, and content.
Inquiry Focus
In the search for resources to enhance educational programming, you will continue to consider:
- How does where we learn impact how we learn?
Use the resource gallery on the Learning to Relate pillar webpage to find resources that help you design educational spaces that acknowledge and honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people, culture, language, and community. Use these resources to support your professional learning plan.
Click to go to Learning to Relate
